Gilbert, Frank T. "Historic Sketches of Walla Walla, Whitman, Columbia and
Garfield Counties, Washington Territory; and Umatilla County, Oregon."
Portland, OR: Print & Lithographing House of A. G. Walling, 1882. p. a18.
JOSEPH W. HARBERT
was born in Montgomery county, Indiana, seventeen miles from
Crawfordsville, September 25, 1835. His parents are Richard J. and Mary A.
(Zumwalt) Harbert, and they are still living at Mt. Vernon, Iowa. The family
moved to Dubuque, Iowa, in 1844, and two years later to Linn county. Joseph
lived at home until 1859, when he crossed the plains to Walla Walla valley. He
worked for Charles Russell two years, and in 1862 purchased a settler's claim
where he now resides. He entered it and has since made cash entries of
government land. He owns about 1100 acres, chiefly grain land, and a fine
orchard. The present year he raised thirty bushels of wheat to the acre on 600
acres of land, though the season was unfavorable. Before devoting himself to his
farm, he teamed for some time to the Idaho mines, a very profitable
business in the early days. Mr. Harbert was married in Lewiston, Idaho, July 13,
1866, to Miss Emma Evans, a native of Ohio, and daughter of George W., and Julia
Evans. The children born to them were: Henry F., December 4, 1867; Ida H.,
January 12, 1870; Alvin L., September 12, 1871; Floy Mary, August 7, 1873; Homer
L., April 24, 1875; Emma Liberty, July 4, 1877. Mrs. Harbert died January 5,
1878. Mr. Harbert had four sisters: Martha, A., now Mrs. D. J. Simmons, of
Blairstown, Iowa; Letitia, now Mrs. R. W. Blake, of Lizton, Ind.; Mary A., now
Mrs. William Camp, living with her brother; Hulda, now Mrs. G. A. Rundell, of
Mt. Vernon, Iowa. Mrs. Camp's daughter, Mary Rowena, born June 30, 1866, is
living with them. Her son, Willie Walter, born January 23, 1864, was
accidentally killed by a horse on the farm in June, 1882. He was a bright boy of
great promise.
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Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in February 2007 by Diana Smith.
Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.